Ryan Harrow is beginning to sense a pattern.

When the selections for the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game were announced live on ESPNU on Feb. 11, Harrow — a senior point guard at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga. — once again found himself on the outside looking in as he was denied a career-defining opportunity. General consensus among several media and fans was that Harrow was the biggest McD’s snub out of anybody. Read More »

I told you yesterday that the McDonald’s All American Game Selection Show was happening tonight, as the top 24 high school basketball seniors in the country would be selected to play in the prestigious 2010 Games set to tip off in Columbus, Ohio on March 31. Well the ballots are in, so check out the rosters for both teams. Read More »

Like we said in Smack this morning, the records don’t matter when Duke and North Carolina get together. College basketball’s most storied rivalry tips off one more time tonight (ESPN, 9 p.m. EST), and while almost every expert would favor the ACC-leading Blue Devils over the struggling Tar Heels, we wanted to get predictions from some of the players who will become part of the UNC/Duke tradition over the next few years.

We caught up with a few of Duke and Carolina’s signed recruits, plus one high-profile undecided recruiting target — essentially a Who’s Who of the top high school ballplayers in the country — to get their take on who will win tonight’s big game: Read More »

Trying to explain to my girl why I was watching a press conference for a high school kid announcing his college decision, I described the reason for the hype behind Harrison Barnes as such:

“Remember when Grant Hill came along? He’s like that. He’s the Golden Boy.”

As good as Barnes is on the court, the 6-7 wing from Ames High School (Iowa) gets just as much praise for his intelligence, maturity, poise and overall good-guy demeanor off the court. Read More »

Last week I wasn’t kidding when I said that this past weekend was the best basketball weekend of the summer. Featuring two of the best events of the year – Boost Mobile Elite 24 and Nike Tournament of Champions – NYC’s asphalt was full of hoops. And it all started Friday night up at Rucker Park. Read More »

Yesterday afternoon I went up to The Sports Club/LA to watch the kids from the Boost Mobile Elite 24 train and practice before tonight’s game. With 24 of the best high school players in the country, competition sets in when you’re playing in front of the media. Read More »

When I was out in LA this past weekend, I got a call from my girl Crystal Howard at ESPN PR asking if I’d be interested in coming to watch a secret midnight run at MSG with all the kids from Elite 24. Let’s just say it didn’t take long to accept. With Brandon Jennings and Kevin Love running alongside some of the best prep ballers in the nation, you can believe me when I say that the competition was fierce. Read More »

Trust me. We understand your frustration with the lack of hoop being played since NBA Summer League ended, but this weekend in NYC features two of the best events of the year: Boost Mobile Elite 24 and Nike Tournament of Champions. And it all starts this Friday up at Rucker Park. Read More »